Hydraulic breech operating mechanism



2,720,820 HYDRAULIC BREECH OPERATING MECHANISM Paul H. Dixon and Donald E. Rutter, Rockford, Ill., as-

signors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,814 7 Claims. (Cl. 89-173) This invention relates to automatic cannon and more specifically to hydraulic breech operating mechanism.

It is an object of this invention to provide an automatic cannon with a hydraulic breech operating mechanism.

Another object of this invention is an automatic cannon hydraulic breech operating mechanism powered by the hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism of the cannon.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an automatic cannon showing the breech mechanism and the hydraulic breech operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown in Figure 1 a barrel 1, having a cartridge 2 seated in the breech end thereof. A sleeve 3 concentric with and having one end fixed to the barrel through means of the breech ring 4 forms with the housing 27, the recoil and counterrecoil chambers. The recoil chamber being designated by reference numeral 5. A recoil piston 6 is fixed to the sleeve and slidable in the recoil chamber during recoil and counterrecoil movements of the cannon. Tank 7 contains a supply of fluid 28 which is fed by gravity through hose 8 to the recoil chamber. A trunnion ring 9 supports the rearmost end of the housing 27 and the foremost end of the receiver 10 in a conventional manner. A jacket 11 formed about sleeve 3 provides a chamber 12 between the sleeve and itself which extends from the piston 6 to the actuator cylinder 13. Each end of the jacket is provided with peripherally spaced ports as indicated by reference numerals 14 and 15 communicating the chamber 12 with the recoil chamber and actuator cylinder, respectively. The actuator cylinder 13 is formed in the forward end of the breech ring by a recess as indicated by the reference numeral 16 and the periphery of the sleeve opposite said recess. A sleeve type piston 17 slidably embraces the sleeve adjacent its rearmost end and has one end projecting into the actuator cylinder. The opposite end of said sleeve type piston is in engagement with the actuator rods 18 positioned in the bores 19 of the breech ring. The actuator rods extend exteriorly of the breech ring and are in engagement with the bolt body 20. Each actuator rod has formed intermediate its ends a flange 21 normally in contact with an annular shoulder 22 in each of the bores 19. A helical spring 23 is placed about each of said rods and has one end in contact with said annular flange and the opposite end abutting the face of a bored plug 24 which closes the open end of the bore 19. Reference numerals 25 and 26 indicate the bolt head and breech ring locks, respectively and 28 the fluid. Sealing rings 29 and 30 are positioned on opposite sides of the sleeve type piston in the breech ring and sleeve, respectively, to prevent fluid leaking past the sleeve type piston.

When a round is fired the barrel goes into recoil carrying the sleeve and piston with'it. The piston in its recoil nited States Patent motion pressurizes the fluid in the recoil chamber and causes it to exert a force on the sleeve piston which in turn pushes the actuator rods rearwardly against the bolt body to cause unlocking of the bolt during recoil movement. The piston is returned and maintained in its normal position by means of the actuator rods which are urged forward by means of the helical springs of the rods in the breech.

I claim:

1. In an automatic cannon, a hydraulic breech operating mechanism comprising a sleeve concentric with the barrel of said cannon and mounted thereon, a housing concentric with said sleeve and forming a recoil chamber therebetween, said sleeve slidably received by the housing, a recoil piston mounted on said sleeve reciprocable in said recoil chamber, fluid in said recoil chamber, a cylinder formed in the forward end of the breech ring of said cannon, a jacket concentric with said sleeve forming a chamber therebetween and extending from the recoil piston to the cylinder to provide passage for flow of said fluid from the recoil chamber to the cylinder, a sleeve type piston slidably mounted on said sleeve adjacent one end of said jacket, one end of the sleeve type piston normally positioned in and reciprocable in said cylinder, the opposite end of said cylinder in contact with one end of each of the actuator rods positioned in diametrically opposed bores in the breech ring, the opposite end of each of said rods extending exteriorly of the rear end of said breech ring and engaging the body of the bolt of said cannon, said fluid pressurized by the recoil piston during recoil, said pressurized fluid acting on the sleeve type piston to drive said rods and bolt body rearwardly during recoil of said cannon and unlock said bolt, and means for returning said actuator rods to their normal position after termination of the recoil.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means includes enlarged portions in said bores adjacent their rearward ends, each of said rods being provided with an annular flange intermediate its ends, a helical spring about each of said rods in the enlarged portion of each bore and having one end in engagement with said flange and the opposite end in engagement with a bored closure member slidably supporting said rod in each of said bores, the springs being compressed during the bolt unlocking motion to return the rods and sleeve type piston to normal position after the unlocking motion has been completed.

3. In combination a hydraulic bolt unlocking means and hydraulic recoil mechanism for automatic cannon, comprising a first piston carried by a sleeve mounted on the barrel of said cannon and driven rearwardly through a recoil chamber containing a fluid during recoil of said cannon, said fluid being pressurized during the recoil motion of said first piston, a second piston slidably mounted on said sleeve and spaced from said first piston, a cylinder partially housing said second piston and spaced from the recoil chamber, a passage formed in the walls of said sleeve intermediate said pistons and in communication with said recoil chamber and said cylinder, spring loaded actuator rods slidable in diametrically spaced bores in the breech ring of said cannon and in engagement with the second piston and bolt of the cannon, said rods and second cylinder driven rearwardly against the bolt to unlock the bolt when the fluid is forced against the second piston during the travel of the first piston in the recoil chamber upon recoil of said cannon.

4. A hydraulic bolt unlocking mechanism for automatic cannon comprising a barrel, a hydraulic recoil mechanism including a chamber filled with a fluid and a first piston aflixed to said barrel for movement therewith during recoil of said cannon, a second piston, actuating means intermediate said second piston and the bolt of said cannon, a cylinder for said second piston, communicating passage means between said chamber and said cylinder operative during recoil of said barrel, and means for restoringsaid actuating means to its normal position whereby said first piston exerts pressure on 'said fluid during recoil which pressure is transmitted to said second piston through said communicating 'passagevmeans thereby actuating said second piston and said actuating means to unlock said bolt.

5. A hydraulic bolt unlockingfmechanism for automatic cannon having a barrel, a breech ring and a bolt comprising in combination a hydraulically operated recoil mechanism exertingrpressure during recoil of said barrelon the fluid of said mechanism, piston means, a cylinder adjacent said breech ring for said piston means, self-restoring, actuating means intermediate said piston means and said bolt, an'd continuously operative, cornmunicating means between said cylinder and said mechanism for said fluid whereby said pressure during recoil actuates said piston means.

6. In combination a hydraulic recoil mechanism and a hydraulic bolt unlocking mechanism for automatic cannon havinga bolt, a barrel and a breech ring, said hydraulic recoil mechanism including a chamber filled with a substantially incompressible fluid and first piston means in operative engagement with said fluid, said first piston means being affixed to said barrel for movement therewith during recoil, said hydraulic bolt unlocking mechanism comprising a cylinder in said breech ring, second piston means in said cylinder, self-restoring, actuating means intermediate said bolt and said second piston means, and channel means between said chamber and said cylinder at a point rearward of said first piston means for applying said fluid to said cylinder whereby the force exerted by said first piston means is transmitted to said second piston means.

7. A hydraulic bolt unlocking mechanism for an automatic gun comprising a barrel, a hydraulic recoil mechanism including a chamber filled with a substantially incompressible fluid and a first piston secured to said barrel for motion therewith during recoil thereof, a second piston, connecting means between said second piston and the bolt of said 'gun, a cylinder for said second piston, channel means continuously communicating between said chamber and said cylinder for applying said fluid to said cylinder and piston during recoil of the said barrel whereby the force exerted by the said first piston is transmitted to said second piston to unlock the said bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

